Trial resumes Friday in district court

The bulk of the prosecution's witnesses testified in court Thursday during jury trial for the case of a fatal bicycle and vehicle collision.

The accident occurred on Sept. 25, 2012 at the intersection of Field Avenue and Leslie Lane and resulted in the death of Cañon City man, Kyle Keefe, 49.

Natalie Habig, 36, of Cañon City, is being charged with vehicular homicide, a class 4 felony, and leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a class 3 felony. An additional charge, a count of criminally negligent homicide, a class 5 felony, was amended in April. She pleaded not guilty Feb. 4.

Four eye-witnesses gave their accounts of the accident to the jury.

George Pointon testified that he was traveling north on Field Avenue when he noticed a bicyclist heading south on the same street. He then witnessed a dark-colored "mini-truck," also heading south, make a "fast turn" onto Leslie Lane. Pointon said he heard a "loud noise" that he described as a yell and a screeching sound that happened simultaneously; he then noticed a man laying in the road bleeding. He said he "left his truck running in the middle of the road" and went over to the man. Pointon testified that the man was incoherent and that blood was coming out of his ears.

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Sylvia Underhill testified that she had her car parked on Leslie Lane while she was out checking her mail and heard "a loud thump" and saw a man "going through the air," then a dark truck and the bicycle. She said she went to her car and called 911 with her cell phone and told them there was a "man on the ground and he needs help."

During the defense's cross-examination, Underhill stated that she could not answer how high she saw the person flying through the air.

Both Izana Davidson and Kristy Padilla Gotham, area residents of the accident scene, testified separately that they did not witness the accident, but saw a truck traveling at about 50 miles per hour, which Gotham said is unusual for the residential area because there are a number of kids in the neighborhood.

Det. Sgt. Jeff Worley of the Cañon City Police Department testified Wednesday and told the court about the accident investigation and the steps he took to conclude that the vehicle involved was a Toyota Tundra driven by Habig. The conclusions were made through still photos, video surveillance and witness interviews.

Worley also testified that police made contact with Habig on Sept. 27 at a yard sale, told her that her vehicle is "in suspect" of being involved in an accident and she agreed to come to the Police Annex Building for an interview.

The jury viewed Habig's police interview Thursday.

In the interview, she told Worley that she had an anxiety disorder and said she was diagnosed bi-polar.

Habig let Worley view a text message she received from a neighbor Sept. 25 stating "Ur dogs r out." Worley photographed the text message and submitted it as evidence to the investigation.

Habig said her dogs are a Boxer-mix and a Lab/Great Dane mix and "look scary." Habig hurriedly left a yard sale on Juniper to rush home. In the interview, she stated she was "so panicked" about her dogs being out that she didn't remember anything. Habig said the first she learned of the accident was when a police officer contacted her the morning of Sept. 27.

After Worley informed Habig that she had hit somebody, she said that she "had no idea" and that she "would have stopped."

Trial resumes at 8:30 a.m. Friday with more witnesses slated to take the stand.